Gas-motor engine



(No Model'.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. H. BURRITT.

GAS MOTOR-ENGINE.

PatentedJune 6,1882.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

11. H. 'BURRITT. GAS MOTOR ENGINE.

PatentedJune 6, 1882.

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(No Model.) s Sheets-Sheet 3.-

7 11., H. BURRITT. I GAS MOTOR ENGINE No; 258,884. 'P atented June 6, 1-882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY H. BURRITT, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

GAs-MoToR' ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,884, dated June 6, 1882.

Application filed October 11, 1881. (No model.) I I New Jersey, have invented certain new and.

useful Improvements in Gas-Motor Engines,

5 fully described and represented in the follow-- ing specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

My invention relates to an improvement-i gas-motors; and it consists in an improved method of compressing the explosive mixture and firing it behind the piston; in an improved method of utilizing the heat generated by thegas, and thus preventing excessive temperature in the motive cylinder, and in various combinations of mechanism for effecting these operations.

1n the drawings annexed, Figure 1 is a plan of an engine constructed with my improvements, the cylinder and adjacent framing being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side view of the cylinder and ignition-chambers, the former being in section and the latter showing the bracket for guiding the valve-moving rods. Fig. 3 is a section of the cylinder at was in Fig. 1',"to show the mechanism for working the gas-valve. Fig. 4 is a side view of the ignitionchamber and rear part of the cylinder, certain parts being shown in section on line yy in Fig. 1 Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the ignitionchamber, and Fig 6 a section of the same on line 2 z in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 shows devices for utilizing the waste heat. I

The motor is shown constructed with an operative cylinder, A, containing a piston, 15, which is connected by a rod, 0, to a fork-head, D, whence the power is transmitted to a crankshaft, E, by a connection, F. The shaft is provided with a fly-wheel, G, and 'is mounted in suitable bearings, H, upon aframe, l, by which it is connected to the cylinder A. Thefcylinder is attached at its rear end to a casting, J,

containing an ignition-chamber, K,-aud an injector-chamber, L, the latter being interposed between the cylinder and chamberK for the purpose of drawing air into the cylinder with the ignited gases as they emerge after. explosion from the ignition-chamber, To effect this object the injector-chamber is provided with an air-supply pipe, M,'furi1ished with a checkvalve, N, and regulating-valve N. The outlet from the ignition-chamber is provided with a nozzle,.a, which discharges theexploded gas across the injector-chamber to a nozzle, b,1eading into the cylinder, and the passage of the current of gas from one nozzle to the otherinduces a partial vacuum-inchamber L, thus inducing a current of air through pipe M, which becomes intimately mixed with the heated gases, and is greatly expanded by the absorption of their heat. As air expands one four hundred and fiftyninth of its volume for each degree Fahrenheit increase of temperature, and as the gaseshave a temperature near 2,000 Fahrenheit when exploded in certain propor tions, it is evident that the bulk of the air may be increased several times by such expansion,

and a pressure of two to three atmospheres secured. As this operation is not instantaneous, but prolonged throughout a great part of the stroke by the gradual passage of the heated gas through the contracted nozzle at a, it is obvious that the force of the engine is distributed throughput the stroke muchmore uniformly than .in engines not constructed with such improvement.

To secure an explosion of compressed air and gas at-each revolution of the fly-wheel, I employ the front part of the cylinder as a receiving and compressing chamber, and for that purpose-close the front end by a stufling-box, O, and provide airfand gas supply pipes at M and F, to introduce the proper proportions of air and gas in to the front part of the cylinder as the piston is retracted by the momentum of the fly-wheel after the forward impulsion.

The airpipe is ,provided with a check-valve, Q, and regulating-valve Q, and the gas is introduced by a gas-va1ve, R, operated by a cam,

R, upon a rotating shalt, S, driven by the secured istransferred to the ignition-chamber upon the return of the piston by a port, 0, extended from the front end of the piston to the chamber K, a check-valve being inserted in the port near its entrance to the cylinder.

The ignition chamber is provided with a cylindrical recess, 1', where the port intersects it, and an inlet-valve, d, is provided between the chamber and recess to prevent the ingress of the gas and air to the chamber during comoression. It is also provided at the opposite side of the chamber with an outlet or exhaust valve, 01, arranged and operated to discharge the contents of the cylinder after their operation behind the piston. Both inlet and outlet valves being constructed upon the same axial line, the stem of the former is made to pass upward and then out of the chamber through ahollow shank, 0, formed upon the outlet-valve, beyond the end of which it projects far enough to receive motion from a cut-off mechanism. Both valves open inward to adapt them to resist the forces of explosion, and each is moved at proper intervals by a cam secured to' the rotating shaft S, which extends by the side of the frame I, past the cylinder A to the chamber K, where it is supported in a bearing,f. This bearing is attached, as well as the lower gni'desa', for the valve-moving rods, to aplate, g, employed to cover the entrance h to the chamber K. The rods are letteredj and k, and are guided attheir upper ends by bearings l', attached to the top of the casting J. These bearings are omitted from the plan in Fig. 1 to expose the cams m and 11, which respectively open the inlet and outlet valves d and d.

To prevent the compressed gas in recess 1' from raising valve d, its stem 8 is extended tothe lower part of the recess and provided with a piston, r. The end of the recess being conneeted with the atmosphere by a hole, 8, the pressure acts equally upon the under side of the valve and upper side of the piston, and is fully or nearly balanced, as may be preferred.

The cam m is adjusted to open the inlet-valvewhen the piston reaches the inner end of its stroke, and remains open only a moment to permit the com pressed air and gas to expand from the portc and recess r into the ignition-chamber. The valve-lifter is constructed to then let the valve drop, and the latter in its descent moves a gas slide or igniter, T, with which it is connected by a bell-crank, U, and link V, attached byjoint-pins to an arm, V, upon the top of the valve-rod.

The valve-lifterconsistsof thecnt-oft' fixture commonly used upon upright-cylinder marineengines, and is formed by attaching two parallel leaf-springs flatwise, as at t, to the head of the rodj and extending them past opposite sides of the stem 8, beneath a double collar, t, secured to the latter. Beyond the stem s the springs are extended to embrace an openingcone, u, which is mounted upon a pillar, u, as shown in Figs.-1 and 6, and operates to separate the springs and disengage them from the shoulder formed on collar t at the moment required for the closing of the inlet-valve. The

gas-slide T being opened at the same instant by its connection with the valve-stem s, the explosion occurs in chamberK immediately thereafter, and the piston is driven forward, compressing the mixed charge before it into the port a and recess 1", in readiness for another explosion. The exhaust-valve is operated by its cam n, rod 7c, hollow stem 0, and an arm, k, affixed to the top of the rod and fitted to a grooved collar, 0, upon the stem 0, and is arranged to be open during the entire returnstroke of the piston 13 to release the waste products from the cylinder A. In passing to the exhaust-valve the gases may flow from the cylinder to chamber K through the injectornozzles a and b, as shown in the drawings at Fig. 4, or be conducted through some auxiliary passage provided with a check-valve opening intothe chamber, such valve preventing the exploded gas from reaching the cylinder except through the injector. Although the exploded gases pass through the injector at high pressures, there is no more tendency in thefiuids to pass into the supply-pipe M than for steam .to enter the suction-pipe of a water-injector, and the check-valve N is provided merely to prevent the waste products from escaping except at the exhaust-valve, whence they may be led in any direction by a pipe attached at y the outlet-pipe W.

To prevent the ignited gases behind the piston from communicating fire to the compressed gases before it, I construct the piston in two sections, with an annular space, 1), between them, and connect such space with the external atmosphere by an aperture, 21, extending from such space into a central hole, 12, extending from the front end of the piston-rod O to the middle ofthepiston. Any compressed gas which escapes into the annular space a is thus offered a free escape to the atmosphere and has no tendency to pass behind the piston. The ignited gases find a similar outlet should any ofthem press over into the space a.

From the above description the operation of my invention will be readily understood, and it will be seen that the heat of the exploded gases is rendered a useful factor by the mixing of the hot gases with air during their passageinto the working-cylinder A, instead of a detriment to the mechanism, asin many other constructions.

I have shown the cylinder provided with a water-jacket, '60, as in similar engines, for use in cases where the temperature remains injurious.

My improvement in utilizing the heat of the exhaust-gases consists in bringing the same into contact with a pipe through which gasoline is conducted, and thereby generating from that fluid, or any other of suitable character, a gas to be used in operating the gas-motor or for any other purpose. As the heat of the eseaping gases is otherwise of no value, and as the gasoline used for producing the combustitemperature and affords a muc nent gas when produced by the application of more permaheat, it is evidently a very profitable application of the waste heat to use it in generating such gas. The exhaust from pipe W may be brought in contact with a coil ofpipe containing a sup ply of gasoline, or arranged as shown in Fig.7, when X is a heating-chamber, through which the waste gases are conducted by pipes W W.

X is a vessel of gasoline, Y a pipe conducting the fluid from the vessel through the chamber X, and Y is a pipe leading the resulting combustible gas to a receiver, Z. The flow of gasoline through the pipe Y is regulated by a' cock, 2, or by automatic devices controlled by the gas produced. ThepipeY would also be provided with suitable safety appliances to prevent heat or fire from extending toward the vessel X. It is evident that with this appliance the cost of operating a gas-en gine may be reduced to the mere cost of so much gasoline, and that no large amount of gas need be kept in store for the use of such an engine, as the production of gas is continuous when the engine is in motion and ceases soon after th engine stops.

It will be seen from the above that the construction of the vaporizing apparatus is im material to my invention, which consists in producing the vapor of gasoline unmixed with air by the action upon such gasoline of the heat contained in the exhaust from the engine, and in mingling such gas in any desired proportions with air, and exploding the mixture or burning the same to propel the piston of the engine.

I am aware that "aporizers have been used before for absorbing the latent heat of steam, and thereby utilizing a part of such heat, as in Patent No. 4,806, Beissued'March 12, 1872, and in Patent No. 127,250, of May 28, 1872, and 1 do not therefore claim. utilizing latent heat, broadly, in such manner, but only the supplying of a gas-motor with its own gas from the vapor of gasoline in the manner claimed.

I am aware that thereis nothing new in various parts of my apparatus, as shown in the drawings, the water-jacket, the gas-slide for igniting the charge, the mixing of the air and gas to constitute the explosive charge, and the use of inlet and outlet valvt's operated bya cam-shaft, all being known prior to my invention but it is equally true that many features of my invention are new in principle, and therefore capable of adaptation to mechanism different from that shown herein. Thus the compressing of the charge by the piston in the front end of the cylinder enables me to make twice as many explosions behind the piston as engines of many other kinds, and thus -to secure a greater uniformity of speed in the power developed by the fly-wheel; but thisoperation can be performed by other constructions, and need not therefore be confined to an engine of the precise form set forth. The same is true in, regard to the operation of the injector, as its function is to draw cold air into the cylinder'with the ignited gases, which can be performed by other arrangements of nozzles than that shown herein, and which can be productive of as great advantage in motors procuring their charge by other means than that I have described. For instance, the motor may be supplied with its explosive charge by an independent compressor, but still employ my device for mixing cold air with the exploded gases, and, vice versa, the devices I have devised for compressing and retaining the charge before ignition. may be used without the injector for diluting the ignited gases.

As the construction and operation of the gasslide and other old features of my motor are already fully understood, I have not shown them in anydetail,butconfiued the illustrations chiefly to the novel constructions.

Having thus fully described my invention, I I

claim the same in the following manner:

1. The method herein described of supplying a compressed charge of mingled air and gas to the cylinder ofa gas-motor, consisting,first, in drawing the air and gas in suitable proportions into one end of the cylinder by the reverse movement of the operative piston second, in compressing the same into a recess or cavity neartheignition-chamberbytheforwardmovement of the piston; third, in retaining themixture in the recess by a suitable valve until the commencement of the succeeding forward stroke; and, fourth, in discharging the compressed mixture into the ignition-chamber at such time by suitable valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

22 The improved method of converting the heat of explosioninto useful power, consisting, first, in exploding the gaseous mixture in a chamber separate from the operative cylinder; second, in conducting the products of the explosion through a chamberlocated between the ignition-chamber and the cylinder and mingling cold air with the heated gases on their passage to thecylinder; and,third, in conducting the products of the explosion, mingled with cold air, to the cylinder, to operate conjointly upon the piston, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a gas-motor, of the cylinder A, provided with an operative piston, an ignition chamber supplied with an explosive charge for the purpose set forth, and an intermediateinjectorchamber,constructedand fied, and ignition-chamber supplied with an explosive charge for the purpose set forth, inlet and outlet valves-combined with the ignitionchamber, asdeseribed,and a gasslideoperated line in a suitable vessel in contact with the to fire the charge by connection to the inletheated gases exhausted from the gas-motor, valve, so as to open when the latter is closed, and in mixing the vapor of the heated gasoline I 5 substantially as herein shown and described. with air and applying it to charge and operate 5. The combination, with the piston ofa gasthe motor, substantially as herein described.

motor, ofa hollow rod, as Up, an annular space In testimony whereofl have hereunto set my in the bodyofthepiston, as v, and aconnection hand in the presence of two subscribing witbetween the two, as o, substantially as and nesses.

for the purpose set forth. HARVEY H. BURRITT. 1o 6. The method herein described for generat- 1 \Vitnesses:

ing and supplying the vapor of gasoline to a Tnns. S. CRANE,

gas-motor, consisting in vaporizing the gaso- G. M. \VARD. 

